Fence



J. T. PATTQN. FENCE.

2 SheetsfSheet 1.

Patented June A20, 1893.

A TTOHNE YS.

, (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. T. PATTON. TENUE.

No. 500,033. Patented June 20, 100s.

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A TTOHNE YS.

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'Nr-'ren .STATES JOHN T. PATTON, OF HIGHLAND, OHIO.

PnfrlnvrA OFFICE.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,033, dated June 20,1893.

Application filed October 8, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. PATTON, of Highland, in the countyofHighland and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Im-Aprovement in Fences, of which the following .is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar iigures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective View of a section of fence constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section takenpractically on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.l Fig.` 3 is a sectional viewthrough the wire stretching device, illustrating the wire in connectiontherewith; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a section of fence,illustrating a slight modification in its construction. Y

Any desired number of posts are firmly planted in the ground. In thedrawings three posts are shown, two end posts designated as 10 and 11,and an intermediate post 12. One face of all of these posts ispreferably made dat, as illustrated in the drawings, and the three postsare securely braced and held in an upright position through the mediumof diagonal brace bars 13. These bars are secured in any approved mannerto the inner faces of the corner posts near the upper ends of saidposts, andthe brace bars extend from this point downward in directionrofthe center or intermediate post 12, and the lower extremities of thebrace bars are stepped in the opposite sides of the said intermediatepost. In stepping the brace bars in the intermediate posts the latterare provided on opposite sides with angular recesses, into which thelower Serial No. 448,246. (No model.)

extremities of the brace bars lit, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The postsare also held in vertical alignment by the auxiliary brace or tie bar14. This bar is of dat metal, and is nailed, screwed or otherwisesecured to the fiat surfaces of the posts at the top portions thereof.The brace or tie rod or bar 14 may be made quite light if in practiceitis found desirable; as, for example instead of a bar being used, a strapof metal may be employed.

Between the intermediate and the corner posts stays 15, are located.These stays, as shown in Fig. 2, consist of two parallel bars 15a and15", held a suitable distance apart by washers 16, and the two bars areconnected by meansof bolts 17, passed through them and also through thewashers 16. The stays are vertically located and are not entered intothe ground, nor do they extend up as far as the tie or brace bar 14. l v

The wires 17 a used in the construction of the fence are secured bystaples or otherwise to one of the corner posts; the wires are thenpassed through the stays and through staples upon the intermediate postto the next corner or end post, where they are also passed throughstaples as shown in Fig. l. The staples of the intermediate and the lastend post are not driven until the wires are stretched, and thestretching is accomplished by the use of a device to be hereinafter setforth.

To complete the construction ofthe fence a tension wire 18, is employed,and this wire is adapted as a brace for the fence throughout its lengthand also to prevent sagging of the fence. For the reception of thistension wire peripherally-grooved pulleys 19, are employed. One of thesepulleys is securely attached to the center or intermediate post 12 nearthe top thereof, preferably between the top wire 1'7a and the tie orbrace bar 14, and another pulley 19, is securely attached to one face ofeach stay 15, the attachment being usually made at or near the centersof the stays. Sockets 20, are secured diagonally upon the end posts nearthe top portions thereof, and these sockets receive bolts 21, theV boltsbeing diagonally located, and the inner faces of the bolts are providedwith eyes while the outer ends are threaded. Awedge nut 22, is looselymounted upon each of the lio screws, and the dat or straight surfaces ofthese nuts have bearing against the outer faces of the end posts, andthe screws are likewise provided with lock nuts 23, which are screwedupon the threaded 'portions of the bolts and have bearing against the'inclined surfaces ot the wedge nuts. The'tensionwire is passed over thepulley upon the intermediate post and beneath the pulleys upon thestays, and the ends of the Wire are secured to the inner portions of thebolts 21, as bestshownv the brace bar 13 adjacent to which they areplaced. If in practice it is found desirablek the pulleys 19 may be madeto turn.

The wire tension device is shown in Figs.'

1 and 3. It consists of a post 25, adapted to be firmly set in theground adjacent to the end. post where the wires'are loosely fastened.

The post 25, is provided with a longitudinal slot 26, extendingfrom apoint near the bot-y tom preferably to a point near the top; and

in the outer face of the post 25, any desired number of inclined slots27 is transversely formed and these slots are adapted to constitutebearings for a crank shaft 28. The crank shaft 28, is of practicallyU-shape, its members being provided with outwardly-extend- .inghandles-29, and the bow portion of the shaft is adaptedto enter theslots orbearings 27 in the post.

The bow member of the crank shaft has secured upon it at or near itscenter a disk 30, in which apertures 31, are made; and near one end ofthe bow section of the shaft a ratchet wheel 32, is secured, and thisratchet wheel, when the shaftis in its bearings in the post 25, ispreferably engaged by two pawls 33 and 34, one engagingit from above andthe other from below, the pawls being removably fulcrumed upon the post25 adjacent to the bearings 27. In `the operation of stretching thewire, the shaft is placed in one of the bearings, and if a wire is inalignment with the shaft it is carried over the bow portion thereof andis secured to the disk 30, as shown in Fig. 3. The shaft is thenrevolved, the pawls permitting it to turn in one direction only whileengaging with the ratchet wheel as shown in Fig. 1. When the requiredtension has been brought to bear u-pon the wire under manipulation, thestaples through which the wire has been passed are driven firmly home inthe post and the wire is held in its stretched position. jacent to whichthe tension device is located, andthe end is ordinarily bent around thepost.

The' stays are pre The wire is then cuto at the post adt In the eventthat the wire to be stretched is not in alignment with the shaft whenplaced in either of the bearings 27 of the post 25, a strand of wire isattached to the shaft and looped to the wire to be stretched, thestaples through which the fence wire passes'scrving to guide it inproper direction while being placed under tension. If in practice it isfound desirable the bearings 27, may be produced directly in one of thecorner or end posts of the fence, in whichk event the shaft is used uponthat post and the auxilarypost 25, may be dispensed with.

It is evident that a fence constructed in the manner above set forthwill be exceedingly durable and economic, and that `each andV every partof it will bek properly braced so that there' will he nolateral'sagging, andthe vertical sagging rof -the wires may be easilyovercome by adjusting thetension wire 18. f f

In Fig. 4, the fence therein illustra-ted is of and the lower wire 17,is filled up to an ex tent, by two strandsof wire 35 and 36, runningacross all of theposts and likewise through the staystl; but more thantwo wires 35 and 36 may beemployed if in practice it is found desirable.a series of picketsBS is placed, the pickets being fastened tothewirestrandsby staples or equivalent forms of fastening devices, or

through the medium of loops 37 of wire, as

illustrated.

When the fence is constructed as shown in Fig. 4, the lower portion ofit will be stronger than when constructed as shown in Fig. 1, and

the fence shown in Fig. 4 is therefore better adapted for inclosingspaces in which small animals are to be pastured or confined, asthepickets will afford more resistance than the wire strands; they are morerigid also, and they may be arranged as close together as necessary topreventexit of the animals between them.

I desire it to be distinctly understood that in both forms of the fencethe staysmay be made single instead of double as illustrated, and thatthey maybe attached to the strands of wire in any manner that may befound desirable or practicable.

Having thus described my invention, Il

onally downward to an engagement with the,

lower portion of the intermediate post, and wires stretched along all ofthe posts, of `stays to which the wires "are attached, located at eachside of the intermediate post of a section and having lockingengagementwit hey Upon thesewires 35 and 36 diagonal brace beams, a pulley securedto the intermediate post nearl its upper end, pulleys secured to thestays near their centers, tension devices located upon the end posts,and a wire attached to the said tension devices and passing over thesaid pulleys, as and for the purpose speciiied.

2. In a fence, the combination, with the end and intermediate posts of asection, and brace bars or beams attached to the upper portions of theend posts and extending diagonally downward to an engagement with thelower portion of the intermediate posts, and wires stretched along allof .the posts, of stays secured to the wires, located at each side ofthe intermediate post of a section and having connection with thediagonal brace beams, a pulley secured to the intermediate post near itsupper end, pulleys attached to the stays near their centers, tensiondevices located upon the end posts, a wire attached to the said tensiondevices and passed over the said pulleys,

and pickets secured to the lower strands ofthe wire, substantially asvand for the purpose specified.

3. In a fence, the combination, with the end and intermediate posts of asection, a metallic brace or tie bar connecting the upper ends of saidposts, diagonal brace beams emanating from the upper portions of the endposts and extending downward to an engagement with the opposite sides ofthe .intermediate posts, the lower ends of the brace bars being steppedin said posts, of a series of wires stretched longitudinally along theposts and secured thereto, stays through which the wires pass, heldvertically in engagement with the brace bars, sockets formed upon theupper portions of the end posts, screws held to turn in said sockets,carrying wedge and lock nuts,lpul leys secured to the stays and theintermediate posts of a, section, the pulley of the intermediate postbeing out of alignment with those of the stays, and a tension wiresecured to the inner ends of the posts and passing over said pulleys, asand for the purpose set forth.

4. In a fence, the combination, with the end and intermediate posts of asection, and wires stretched along all ot' the posts, of stays to engagewith the wire, located at each side ofthe intermediate po'st of asection, a pulley secured to the intermediate post near its upper end,pulleys secured to the stays near their centers, tension devices locatedupon the outer end posts, a wire attached to the said tension devicesand passing over said pulleys, and a locking connection between thewires and the stays, as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a fence, the combination, with the end and the intermediate postsof a section, and wires stretched along the posts, of stays held inengagement with the wires, the stays being located at each side of theintermediate p ost of a section, a pulley secured to the intermediatepost near its upper end, pulleys secured to the stays near theircenters, tension devices located upon the end posts, a wire attached tothe said tension devices and passing over the said pulleys, and picketssecurely attached to the lower wires of the fence, the pickets beinglocated between the end posts and stays and the stays and intermediatepost, as and for the purpose specified.

JOHN T. PATTON.

Witnesses:

C. P. KEEN, W. H. MYERS.

